Patient transport by ambulance can result in shock or vibration induced trauma due to road conditions encountered by the ambulance when in transit. Of course a degree of ride roughness may be taken into account by the ambulance suspension. However, an ambulance suspension has yet to be developed that is sufficiently compliant for comfort but also allows for safe vehicle operation. A need is thus recognized for some form of compliant patient support within an ambulance that will allow use of normal vehicle suspension and yet reduce potential ride induced trauma to the patient.
Various patient and stretcher suspension devices have been developed in recognition of the above problem. However most are costly, complex, and do not adapt well to standardized ambulance lock down arrangements by which the otherwise movable stretchers are secured within the ambulance.
Another problem faced by those wishing to supplement ambulance suspension systems to improve patient comfort is that there is no standard configuration for ambulance stretchers. In fact, there are several stretcher configurations currently available in the marketplace. Stretcher configuration and weight may vary, as may lock down arrangements to accommodate the various cot structures. Such variations increase the difficulty in designing a simple universal vibration damping system.
One fairly standard ambulance feature is floor construction. An ambulance floor typically includes a floor covering placed over a sheet of plywood that is used as a subfloor. The plywood is placed over a metal pan that is an integral part of, or is mounted to the ambulance chassis. The pan protects and seals the plywood from exposure to the outside environment and the plywood provides rigidity, working with the floor covering to provide a degree of sound and heat insulation for the ambulance interior. The combination of covering and plywood presents a floor thickness between the covering and pan that is typically less than about one inch. The thin floor structure limits use of subfloor mounted vibration reduction mechanisms, at least if it is desired to maintain the integrity of the pan. Floor mounted vibration reduction systems have been mounted above the floor surfaces to maintain the integrity of the pan. However, such structures may obstruct access and hinder cleaning.
In view of the above problems, what is needed is a vibration reduction arrangement which achieves the benefits to be derived from other, known methods and devices, but which avoids the shortcomings and detriments individually associated therewith.